Netflix and Marvel TV have inked an agreement that will resurrect four comic book heroes on the streaming service, beginning in 2015.

The deal, which marks Netflix's first foray into the superhero subculture, includes four separate serialized programs that will eventually converge in a mini-series event.

Hell's Kitchen's own Daredevil leads the pack of flawed heroes, followed by the lesser-known New Avengers members Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage  each of whom will presumably carry their own self-titled show.

?wmode=transparent"This deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel's brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling," Alan Fine, president of Marvel Entertainment, said in a statement. "Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel's specialty."

Beginning in 2015, all four New York City-based programs will unfold in 13-episode arcs over multiple years, culminating in Marvel's The Defenders mini-series event.

"This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and when they want in what's sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure," Fine said.

Neither Marvel nor Netflix offered any details about storylines, secondary character appearances, or casting decisions  though it is pretty safe to assume Ben Affleck's Daredevil ship has sailed.

"Marvel's movies, such as Iron Man and Marvel's The Avengers, are huge favorites of our service around the world. Like Disney, Marvel is a known and loved brand that travels," Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement. "With House of Cards and our other original series, we have pioneered new approaches to storytelling and to global distribution and we're thrilled to be working with Disney and Marvel to take our brand of television to new levels with a creative project of this magnitude."

This deal follows last year's movie distribution agreement, which tapped Netflix as the exclusive U.S. subscription television service for first-run, live-action, and animated movies from the Walt Disney Studios beginning in 2016. That includes titles from Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Disneynature, and LucasFilm.

About the Author

Stephanie joined PCMag in May 2012, moving to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in ... See Full Bio

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